1. You can spot a peanut butter sandwich in a child's hand from across the playground at dusk.

2. You've gone a few rounds with a coconut and have the scars to prove it. No matter the level of difficulty, the lack of proper tools, or the fact that you fast forwarded through most of the YouTube tutorial, you WILL have coconut milk today.

3. You are the only person you know who lives in fear of dropping your phone in baby poo while snapping a pic for reference. Because you know Apple Care doesn’t cover poo.

4. After a while it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to eat buckwheat, turkey, and broccoli for breakfast. After all it’s there, and will save you a step in the kitchen.

5. Your fridge and freezer cause visiting family members to gasp in astonishment.

6. It is not uncommon for you to wander the grocery store for over an hour in search of a new packaged (safe) food. Because that hour will save you two in the next week of food prep, and that counts as a win.

7. Other people think school birthday parties are fun, but you know a different story.

8. You have actually spent time and energy trying to figure out if the chicken and the egg are related.

9. Driving two hours to meet the farmer who raises pastured hogs on nothing more than truffles and rotten organic fruit feels like a shot at winning the lottery. Because maybe this pig will be the one animal protein your child can handle.

10. You cry tears of joy the day your children share a safe food together.

You know all about these things because you are a hard-core, card-carrying member of the Allergy Parent's Gold Club. Your vigilance and commitment to your child's safety and well-being have enabled you passage into this elite group of exhausted parents around the globe. Congratulations, and welcome.

United in our madness, we stand strong. We know there is no clear path. So we listen and watch. We guard, plan, research, and troubleshoot. We love, we grieve, and we celebrate each win.

If you are interested in working with me for coaching or therapy please contact me at therapistmamatalk@gmail.com for more information.